Cyclospora Outbreak Expands to 9 States

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have expanded the multistate outbreak of cyclospora connected to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico to nine states.

Nearly 2,000 (1,947) cyclosporiasis illnesses have been confirmed in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Based on epidemiological information collected by the CDC, the people reporting illness also reported eating at Taco Bell. Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 22 to July 20. There have been at least 98 hospitalizations, and no deaths have been reported.

The FDA notes the number of confirmed cases is expected to rise, despite a recall initiated by Taylor Farms, since it can take as long as six weeks for the CDC and state officials to determine if a sick person is part of the outbreak.

On July 19, the FDA noted a sample provided by Taylor Farms de Mexico was a false positive, but the agency clarified last week that it does not “change the basis for FDA’s ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms.” The FDA adds its traceback investigation and outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms from growers in central Mexico.

In a statement, Taylor Farms said it has suspended all iceberg lettuce sourcing from central Mexico. The company has also tapped “independent experts to conduct a top-to-bottom review of food safety processes and protocols in our central Mexico facility,” where it has suspended production.

Taylor Farms added that no product samples have tested positive for cyclospora as of July 24, adding it has removed potentially implicated product from the marketplace out of an “abundance of caution.”

“We are passionate about helping people live healthier lives through fresh produce, and the safety of our food is paramount,” Taylor Farms said. “We maintain best-in-class cyclospora prevention protocols and invest more than $200 million annually into our independently audited and verified food safety protocols.”

Taco Bell said on July 17 that it had removed all affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants and supply chain.

“We believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests,” Taco Bell says. “Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.

Taylor Farms de Mexico was also involved in a cyclospora outbreak in August 2013. The outbreak sickened more than 500 people in 18 states.

This outbreak follows the CDC’s move in 2025 to reduce the pathogens it monitors under the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) from eight to two. The partnership between CDC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service, the FDA and 10 state health departments now focuses on salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. It previously monitored for cyclospora, as well as campylobacter, listeria, shigella, vibrio and Yersinia.